October 11: The Steam behind the STEAM at KidZone Museum

 Very young children are filled with curiosity and are relentless in their questions about how the world works. ‘Why is the sky blue?’, ‘Why do we have two eyes?’, ‘How do fish breathe?’ At a young age is when children need to begin their investigative journey in STEM, when their brain development is on warp speed. Please join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, October 11th to hear Helen Pelster, Museum Board President Emeritus, and Carol Meagher, Museum Executive Director, as they lead us through how a child’s development in science, technology, engineering, art and math, (STEAM) skills requires hands on development.

Pelster and Meagher will share how the local Truckee KidZone Museum helps to create those hands-on experiences that build the brain's synapses that will allow their adult selves the ability to problem solve, communicate, create and use critical thinking skills. The audience will learn about the steam behind the STEAM programs in Truckee. 

Meagher is the Museum Executive Director and has been at the museum for 16 years. Meagher has built the Museum’s science programming from the ground up. The Museum staff continue to develop their STEAM programming with industry-leading partners, including the Exploratorium, Lawrence Hall of Science and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Pelster is a computer scientist, mom, educator, ultra-marathoner, and volunteer.

Please join us on Monday, October 11, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM, or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions online during the presentation.

A suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

May 10: A Good Pitch Can Make or Break a Company

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/413096320115384

A carefully crafted presentation can make or break a company’s chance of early success in gaining financial backing, gaining early customers, and securing critical partnerships. Presentation content, slide layout, properly setting expectations, tempo, and pace of the presenter, they all play a role in helping to set the hook and getting funding to help sustain the business. Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, May 10th, for a panel presentation on how “Pitch Camp” made a difference for my company. 

Tahoe Silicon Mountain will have a panel discussion of former pitch camp attendees, who will share updates on their businesses and how pitch camp helped them succeed. In a normal year, the Sierra Small Business Development Center at Sierra Business Council and Tahoe Silicon Mountain sponsor Startup Weekend and a pitch camp where the camp enables early-stage businesses with a chance to create a pitch that can be used with early stage investors, donors, target customers, and potential partners.  

Please join us on Monday, May 10, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM, or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

February 8th: Survival Tactics for Chickadees in the Tahoe Basin

The Tahoe Basin is known for its many different animal species that live in the area. One of the more popular species in the region is the chickadee, with many locals and tourists making the trek to Chickadee Ridge during summer and winter to feed the birds. Aside from the free handouts the birds on chickadee Ridge receive, how do the chickadees survive year-round in the Tahoe Basin? Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, February 8th, to hear Ben Sonnenberg speak on the Natural Selection and Spatial Cognition in Wild Food-catching mountain chickadees.

Sonnenberg will enlighten the audience on how the chickadees survive the cold snowy winters by storing and retrieving food. The Pravosudov Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno has been working on untangling the secrets behind how mountain chickadees are able to recover their hidden food stores and whether or not these memory abilities are under natural selection. 

Sonnenberg is a fourth year PhD student at the University of Nevada, Reno where he conducts research in the avian cognitive ecology lab focusing on mountain chickadees. His projects include monitoring the spatial learning and memory abilities as well as the reproductive investments of the long-term study population. Ben is a Montana native from Bozeman, Montana and received a Degree in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. He has worked around the country, including Washington, Nevada, Alaska, and Connecticut conducting avian related research and public outreach.

Please join us on Monday, February 8th, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM.  The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.  Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

January 11: Donner Party’s Forlorn Hope Expedition

On December 16, 1846 fifteen members of the Donner Party left Donner Lake to bring back help for the friends and family left at the lake, making for a tragic part of Truckee’s history. Called Forlorn Hope, only seven survived the 33-day ordeal which covered almost 100 miles. These brave survivors spurred the four rescue parties that saved half of the Donner Party.

On December 16, 2020 four extreme athletes (Tim Twietmeyer, Jennifer Hemmen, Bob Crowley, and Elke Reimer) followed the trail of the Donner Party’s Forlorn Hope from Donner State Park to the Sacramento Valley near Wheatland. Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, January 11th, to hear the story of the team’s journey. Listen to the team’s thoughts on why they think the Forlorn Hope party made the decisions they did and the difficulties the team faced as they made the journey amidst the early snowfalls of the 2020-2021 season.

The trip culminates 7 years of research, both from written word and in-the-field surveys. Multiple trips were made to scout the route the team traveled. The key purpose of the team’s trip was to 1) Discover the lost trail of the Forlorn Hope, 2) Honor the members of the Forlorn Hope Party, and 3) Inspire others to combine history with sport. The team made the trip in 5 days, compared to the 33 days it took the Forlorn Hope party to make the trip. After successfully retracing the steps of the Forlorn Hope Party the team had these comments in their trip blog.

“We walked four across as we neared the end. We saw the small wooden sign hammered into the ground off in the distance, as the wagon road-and we, turned south. Each of us reached into our pocket to reveal the tribute cards we’d carried across the Sierra, over the pass, along the Yuba, in

the shadow of Devil’s Peak and Cisco Butte, by the fateful wrong turn, into the teeth of Burnett Canyon and the North Fork of the American River, up the hill so steep, across the river again, along the Bear River and now here, the place the seven Forlorn Hope survivors had been brought.

As we neared the spot where the adobe house once stood, we gently laid each card down at the base of the sign; reuniting the seventeen members of Forlorn Hope for the first time in 174 years. We felt relief too, our mission accomplished.”

For additional information on the trip, please visit the expeditions website www.forlornhope.org

Please join us on Monday, January 11h, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain.

The audience will be able to submit questions to the panelists during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

December 14: Restoring the Truckee River Watershed

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2452743958388812/

A key part of life in Truckee and Tahoe is the water. Lake Tahoe, the many surrounding smaller lakes, and the rivers, including the Truckee, all add to the quality of life in the Truckee-Tahoe region. But did you know that the Truckee River is considered polluted by the EPA? Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, December 14th, for a “River talk” with Sue Drake and Beth Christman of the Truckee River Watershed Council. 

The Watershed Council will present on how human impact has damaged the Truckee watershed, and how over the years the watershed council has been managing projects to help reverse the damage and protect the Truckee River for the future generations to come. They will also let the audience know how they can get involved. 

Drake is the Development Director for the Truckee River Watershed Council. Prior to working on protecting the Truckee River, Drake worked in ski resort management at Northstar California and as an environmental consultant and biologist focused on water quality and wildlife protection in the western states. Drake has a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from University of Montana, Missoula.  

Christman is the Director of Restoration Programs for the Truckee River Watershed Council. She has

been restoring meadows and streams in the local area for over 20 years. Christman has a B.A. degree in Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University.

Please join us on Monday, December 14th, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions to the panelists during the presentation.

A suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.  Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

www.truckeeriverwc.org

 

October 12: Vanlife: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of Do it Yourself.

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2540179779437333

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals is pleased to have Nick Polinko present at the October 12th, virtual Mountain Minds Monday via livestream, using the Tahoe Silicon Mountain YouTube Channel to present on DIY Vanlife: Why you should or shouldn’t build your own camper van.

Over the last 10 years, the Vanlife Movement has gained significant popularity with outdoor enthusiasts seeking more off-the-grid and remote experiences. The biggest question when embarking on this lifestyle is whether or not to build your own rig. Polinko and his partner spent 18 months on the road traveling from San Francisco to Patagonia. After seeing a variety of approaches, they returned to custom build a 2019 Ford Transit Quigley 4x4. Polinko will break down the reasons to build your own van vs. buying a manufactured RV, and will discuss the different ways to tackle it on your own. At the end of this presentation, the viewer will have a good idea of the path they should take to get into the world of Vanlife. 

Polinko is a mechanical engineer, the former CEO of Rumpl, an outdoor blanket brand, and now the COO of Tahoe Modern, a staging and design firm based out of Truckee. Polinko’s first-hand experience of his time on the road can be heard on the podcast, Wheel Travel Far, or seen on Instagram @thelongcruise. 

Please join us on Monday, October 12, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM.  The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

July 13: Minds at Work: How to Keep EVERYONE From “Flipping Their Lid”

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to host Marcia Ramstrom, who will present on Minds at Work: How to De-escalate Conflict and Keep EVERYONE From “Flipping Their Lid”, during the July 13th virtual Mountain Minds Monday via live stream using the Tahoe Silicon Mountain YouTube Channel.

Ramstrom will speak on how to cope with emotions during these tough times. Working under the current strained conditions created by dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic can put even the calmest person at risk of losing it. Understanding the brain under pressure and learning how to calm down the stress response system can help you and those you are working with, regulate the nervous system and remain calm. Knowing when it is beyond your ability to support yourself or others and where to turn for help can be life-saving. The presentation will explain the science behind our stress response system, and how to use nervous systems' relaxation mechanism to manage stress and other emotions.

During this pandemic, it is critical that you recognize what stress looks like, take steps to build your resilience, manage job stress, and know where to go if you need help. Whether you are going into work or working from home, the COVID-19 pandemic has probably changed the way you work. Fear and anxiety about this new disease and other strong emotions can be overwhelming, and workplace stress can lead to burnout, or worse. How you cope with these emotions and stress can affect your well-being, the well-being of the people you care about, your workplace, and your community

Ramstrom has been an educator and mental health clinician for over 30 years. She loves sharing information and resources helping community members increase their mental health literacy and make their lives easier and more enjoyable! Ramstrom received her B.A. from Chico State and her M.S. from University of La Verne.

Please join us on Monday, July 13, at 5:00 PM on line at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log into YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

A big thank you to our Gold Sponsor Holland and Hart, and our Silver Sponsor MOBO Law, LLP.

March 9: Exploring the Depth of Chocolate

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/619443942164427/

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Krysta Bea Jackson who will present on the intricacies and creativity that go into making chocolate.

Jackson will take a deep look into chocolate, one of the world’s most interesting and tasty delicacies. She will discuss the best ingredients, the history, gender studies of chocolate, and the economics of the industry.

Jackson is the creator and owner of Sugar Love, founded in 2015, a company that prides itself on creating imaginative chocolates to always bring you something new to experience. Jackson is the lead organizer for Startup Weekend Reno and 1 Million Cups Reno and has been involved in multiple organizations promoting entrepreneurship in the region.

Jackson was awarded the 2016 Faculty Advisor Special Recognition Award from the Governor’s Cup. In 2018, she received the Swimming Upstream award from the Nevada Business magazine which recognizes women business owners. She likes to sum it up as, “I’m a nerd for business.”

Please join us on Monday, March 9 at Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner, Truckee. Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

February 10: The Five Mass Extinctions on Earth and the Start of Number Six

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/473378713576092/

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Dr. Montana Hodges who will present on mass extinctions and possible links to a sixth mass extinction.

Hodges will discuss the “Big 5” mass extinctions that have happened in the past, and how they have been tied to climate change. One of these major extinctions left a detailed fossil record almost in Truckee’s front yard along the western Sierra Nevada. Each of the extinctions wiped out more than half of all life on earth, sometimes almost all. Hodges will also present biological and climate data that supports the world is in or nearing a sixth mass extinction.

Hodges is a professor at Sierra College and Sierra Nevada College. Hodges received her Ph.D. from the University of Montana, Missoula, and is a paleontologist and Jurassic fossil expert, specializing in the impact of the environment on ecosystems during mass extinctions. When not teaching in The Tahoe Truckee area, Hodges’ works as a paleontologist at Denali National Park, enjoys researching mass extinctions, rescuing dogs, and teaching skiing.

Please join us on Monday, February 10th at Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner, Truckee. Registration and networking begin at 5:30pm; dinner starts at 5:45pm; and formal introductions begin at 6:15pm. Dinner is available on a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum).

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Live stream for introductions starts at 6:15 PM with the presentation at 6:45 PM. bit.ly/YouTubeTSM
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

January 13: New Location! Stress Management, A Skill Everyone Can Learn

Mountain Minds Monday new location: Alder Creek Cafe, 15275 Alder Creek Road

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2625744704314170/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Julia Arndt to speak on how to manage stress in life by rethinking our lifestyles in order to bring long-lasting transformations. 

Arndt will give us an overview of how stress impacts our lives and provide tips on how to manage daily stress to function at a high-performance level.

Julia Arndt is the proud owner of Blue Mountain Mindfulness. She is an international speaker, peak performance coach, and stress management trainer. Combining her extensive business background working for Google for over 7 years, her unique journey in reaching mindfulness, and her passion to inspire and motivate people, Julia is helping professionals in high-pressure environments prevent burnout and build a mindful lifestyle--one that delivers focus, high energy, and productivity.

Please join us on Monday, January 13th at Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner, Truckee. Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

NEW LOCATION! December 9th: The Advances in Ski Technology

** NEW LOCATION **

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/450556412270690/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain is MOVING Mountain Minds Monday to Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner. Please join us on Monday December 9th for a lively discussion on the advances in ski technology.

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome three pathfinders of the ski industry, Lauren Okerman of Coalition Snow, Luke Jacobson of Moment Skis, and Phil Pugliese of Pugski, who will educate us on the advances in ski technology.

The panel will enlighten the audience on the changes in ski technology and the challenges of working in the ski manufacturing industry over the past several years, and what the future of skis may look like.

Lauren Okerman is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Coalition Snow, a local women-owned and operated ski and snowboard company. She’ll speak to the ways Coalition Snow has been pushing the boundaries and changing the dialogue in the industry since 2014.

Luke Jacobson is the CEO of Moment Skis, the biggest little ski company in Sparks, NV. Prior to his tenure as CEO, he held an engineering role for Moment, a company who hand makes their skis in Nevada. He’ll be able to speak to the technical innovation of the Indie brand since 2003.

Phil Pugliese is the owner of Pugski.com, and is a fully certified self-proclaimed gear guru. He pairs his early experience in ski shops with extensive experience as a ski reviewer and as a ski tester, which has prepared him to give a longitudinal perspective on how the technology of the heritage brands have changed.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on December 9th from 6-8pm at the Alder Creek Café in Tahoe Donner located at 15275 Alder Creek Road, Truckee. Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

November 11th: How Olympians Reduce Injury and Improve Peak Performance

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1347320408774880/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Dr. Barry Triestman D.C. to discuss how to benefit from medical technology used at the U.S. Olympic Center to help with injuries and obtain peak performance.

Triestman will share his experience working with athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, and will educate the audience on the care and technology used to keep the USA’s Olympic hopefuls in tip-top condition and injury free. He will also encourage the audience to employ these techniques in their daily routine to reduce injury and improve their performance.

Dr. Barry Triestman D.C. is a local Truckee Healer and Chiropractor with 30 years of experience. He is master certified in the Active Release Techniques as a “Gold Standard” in soft tissue treatment. Triestman has volunteered at the Olympic Training Center in the Sports Medicine Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO to help hone his skills as a healer.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on November 11th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail